Yaron Koren wrote:
> > ... suggestion for how automatic-page-creation can be
> > defined within form definitions (or wherever else you think it should
> > happen)
I'll be back with more on this later, but for a start I think one must
give some thought to the following:
= Template approach =
Given the need for a way to auto create n--n relations (pages which
binds together two other pages with a page reference ("single link") for
each) I think that one must have at least one ParserFunction which can
be executed from a template rather than from the form itself.
Thoughts that comes to mind are:
1. Relations (from auto created a new page referring to the main page)
depends on titles. Can one assume that the title of the ("main") page is
yet known before hitting the submit button? (consider titles being
created with |the form option "page name=|/formula"/ for unique titles/)./
2. If creating pages with a subform, what if the main page/form is
cancelled instead of confirmed? Any other new auto pages referring back
to the main form (which were canceled ) would then become "orphans" in
regard of a has relation (Main<>----HasPage). Example:
[Car]<>----wheels-*-[wheel]
Optional approach: If pages are not created until the main form (of the
car) is submitted then the wheels won't be created and left on their own
if the main form is canceled. But there are cases where orphans wouldn't
matter, so allowing inform creation could also be an option in the form
definition:
{{{createpagebytemplate|template|...|...|...|allow-inform-create}}}
3. If it's possible to deal with the (not yet) created auto-title of the
main form (see ยง1), and if optionally allowing pagecreate from such a
form, then that very title perhaps could be calculated "in advance" and
stored in a variable available on the form, and when the button for
create page with a subform is pressed, it can be passed on as a
parameter to the create template? Example:
[This Title]<-role1---[RelationClass]----role2->[Other Title]
{{{createpagebytemplate|template|RelationClass|role1={{#var:this-title}}|role2=other
title|allow-inform-create}}}
4. If the parameter newtitle= isn't passed on to the template it can
concatenate the two role-titles into a a new title (this is as good a
auto-title as any other, if that's desired, which it would, in many
cases, I believe).
5. Ownership - While you're at it, add to the semantics of a SMW
property to "own" it's values, that is, the value lives/exist as long as
the Property owner (the page) lives/exist, and when the page referring
to a value is deleted, then also the value is deleted (including
"values" of Type:Page... :).
This would complement the (auto) createpage-functionality perfectly
since it would be possible to fully implement the semantics of the UML
notation <.>---- (*filled* diamond) which means "owns".
<>---- ("diamond") = Has. In UML terms a "has" relation
is an "aggregation" but that alone
doesn't imply ownership.
<.>--- ("filled diamond") = Owns. The value lives and dies with
the "owner" (owner is to the left
of the diamond).
Needs some SMW notation on the Property page: [[owns values::true]].
Default = false and thus can be omitted. SMW then also takes care of
deleting "owned" pages.
6. Btw, when thinking about it, the number of parameters sent to the
template can't be known in advance, perhaps it's best to have the
following notation in the form instead:
{{{createpagebytemplate|allow-inform-create}}}
{{{template|RelationClass|role1={{#var:this-title}}|role2=other
title|...|...N other properties to be set}}}
{{{endcreatepage}}}
OK, this was just to get the discussion started. You have the advanced
experience with Forms so now you find the weak spots in the above. :)
I'll be back with more insights as I'm implementing more of the Semantic
Forms notation in my generator. Currently it already handles basic
properties, with options, like |mandatory| etc, controlled from the UML
model through deriving from multiplicity for links (multiplicity > 0 ->
mandatory). Also manual notation for regular attributes can be defined
in the doc-view, with the following valid notation:
smw.mandatory=true, or
sMw.MandatOry = 1;
etc.
In short, I'm learning SF as we go... :)
Regards,
// Rolf Lampa
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